Poll Shows Donald Trump’s Feud With The Khans Hurting Him

More than three-quarters of voters have heard about Donald Trump’s spat with Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the Muslim Americans whose son died serving as an Army captain in Iraq.

And that’s not good news for Trump.

According to a new Fox News poll, 77 percent of voters knew of the harsh words exchanged between Trump and the Khans in the wake of Khizr Khan’s fiery anti-Trump speech at the Democratic National Convention. Nearly 7 in 10 of those who have heard about the controversy think Trump stepped over the line.

Even Republicans are split on Trump’s response: 40 percent say his criticism of the Khans was “in bounds,” while 41 consider his reaction “out of bounds.” Not surprisingly, 93 percent of Democrats said Trump’s comments were out of bounds; 63 percent of independent voters agreed.

Trump said that Khan “viciously attacked” him in the DNC speech, and suggested Ghazala Khan hadn’t spoken because she wasn’t allowed. The Khans have continued to speak out, and Trump has continued to criticize them in response in the days since Thursday’s speech.

According to a Morning Consult poll, Trump would be better off letting the issue go. Thirty-four percent of registered voters say Trump’s dispute with the Khans has made them less likely to vote for him. A plurality ― 41 percent ― say it doesn’t change their propensity to vote for the Republican nominee.

Again, Republicans are less affected by the controversy: Only 14 percent of that group reports being less likely to vote for Trump because of his criticism of the Khans. Forty-nine percent are unmoved by it, and 28 percent are actually more likely to vote for Trump now. Independents are split, with 31 percent who say they’re less likely to vote for Trump, and 45 percent who say it doesn’t affect their vote.

Trump also should probably quit talking about the concept of making sacrifices. A 51 percent majority of registered voters agree with the Khans that Trump has “sacrificed nothing and no one” in defense of the U.S., including 30 percent of Republican voters and nearly half of independents.

The Fox News poll asked 635 registered voters questions about the Khan controversy by telephone on Aug. 1 and Aug. 2. Full results can be found here. Morning Consult surveyed 2,001 registered voters online on August 1-2. Full results can be found here.